Pembroke's Tyson Totten scored 24 points to help lead the Dragons to a 63-38 win over Elba on Thursday in Boys Basketball.
Totten also had eight rebounds.
Avery Ferreira scored 17 points, hitting three threes. Sam Pfeiffer, 11 points, with three threes, and Sean Pustulka had eight assists.
For the Lancers, Nicholas Scott scored 16 points.
"We had three good defensive quarters to close out the game," said Dragon's coach Matthew Shay. "I thought we did a nice job managing the game, which is a credit to Sean."
Abby Bestine, Lily Wagner, and Quinn Woeller. Submitted photo.
Story by Coach Matt Holman:
It was windy and snowy for the first race of the 2024 ski season on Wheels Run.
The warm daytime temperatures left the race course softer than ideal conditions would provide. After the modified field had completed its first run, the course had been worn with ruts and large snow piles for the racers to navigate.
The Batavia Alpine Ski team fared well, with a third-place finish for the boy's team and a 4th place finish for the girl's team.
Leading the way for the team was a ninth-place finish for senior Ben Stone. Ethan Bradley (12th grade) was 15th, Gunnar Pietrzykowski (9th Grade) was 18th. Freshman Nolan Radly had a first run time good enough for 16th place but was unable to finish his second run.
Lily Wagner (12th grade) finished 11th for the girls. Quinn Woeller (12th grade) and Abby Bestine (11th grade) had good first runs (15th and 17th, respectively) but were unable to finish their 2nd.
"This first race sets the stage for a good season," Holman said. "The young skiers have learned some things tonight that you can't outside of an actual ski race, and I believe these teams will only get better as the season goes on."
Ethan Bradley, Nolan Radley, and Ben Stone. Submitted photo.
Elba walked away with the win against Kendall in Girls Basketball on Wednesday.
The final: 56-11.
Sydney Reilly scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. Brea Smith had 13 rebounds to go with five points. Ava Buczek and Maddie had nine points each.
Notre Dame squeaked by Byron-Bergen in Girls Basketball in overtime on Wednesday, 37-36.
The game was tied at the end of the fourth quarter at 32-32. The Irish were down by one with 4.9 seconds left when Sofia Falleti drove to the lane, missed the layup and Emma Sisson came in with a put-back at the buzzer for the win.
Falleti posted a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Sisson added eight points and 10 rebounds.
Photo of Magical Maya A courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
Batavia Downs opened their 2024 winter meet last Thursday (Jan. 4) and celebrated with a new all-source handle record of $390,922. Now only four days later on Monday (Jan.8), the second session of racing for this early season has again recorded a new high after $421,221 was wagered on the afternoon card. The increase is the latest jump in this upward handle trend at The Downs that began last winter and has continued ever since.
“It’s good to see the interest our product has continued to draw over this long period of time. We have picked up new customers this past year and clearly they have been supporting us through the windows. We are currently on a great trajectory and we certainly hope it continues,” said Don Hoover, Director of Live Racing at Batavia Downs.
Bettable races and quality horses have been key and Monday’s feature race was just one example. The $15,000 Open I Handicap pace for fillies and mares was won by Australian expat Magical Maya A, who notched her second North American victory in only her fourth attempt after she cruised gate to wire at The Downs.
Driver Larry Stalbaum left and meandered his way to the front with Magical Maya A, taking that position as Imprincessgemma A (Brett Beckwith) released her approaching the quarter. Once in command, Magical Maya A stopped the clock in :28.2, :58 and 1:26.3 with only Imprincessgemma A staying close. After rounding the turn, Imprincessgemma A dipped inside of Magical Maya A and made up some ground as they paced towards the wire. But Magical Maya A was game and hung onto the lead by over a length in 1:56.1.
It was the 10th lifetime win for the 6-year-old Magical Maya A ($7.60) who is owned and trained by her driver, Stalbaum.
After winning the eighth race on Monday, the 12-year-old Santana Beach (Jim Morrill Jr.) hit a career milestone by notching his 50th lifetime win. Trained by Andrew Torre, who co-owns with Kristen Torre, Santana Beach has now earned $333,569 from his efforts in 297 career starts.
John Cummings Jr. was the driving leader on Monday as he registered four winners during the afternoon. “Junior” won with BJ Lorado (2:00.1, $3.40), Shadow One (1:57.2, $3.50), So amazing (1:57.2, $3.40) and Jumpinthejailhouse (2:01, $7.00). Trainer Brianne Sinclair sent Cummings first two winners to post before adding her third win of the day with Windemere Ryan (1:57.4, $7.60) who was driven by Drew Monti. Sinclair ended up batting 1,000 as she only had three horses entered on Monday.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday (Jan. 8) at 3 p.m. and there will be a $1,422 carryover in the Pick 5 wager that starts in race one.
Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.
If the Genesee Region USBC awarded rings instead of plaques, Scott Culp’s victory at the 70th Scratch Memorial Tournament at Mount Morris Lanes would have been “one for the thumb.”
The 45-year-old high-revving right-hander showed that he continues to be at the top of his game by winning his fifth Scratch Memorial crown, defeating Pat Stefanik of Williamsville, 244-165, in the title match.
Culp, a Honeoye Falls resident, started the championship match with six strikes. He earned $650 while successfully defending the title he won iln 2023. He also won this event in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
“It’s so exhilarating,” said Culp, when asked how it feels to win five times. “There are a lot of good bowlers who compete in the Genesee Region association.”
Culp posted an 817 score in the Sunday morning qualifying squad – the third of three four-game squads to determine who would advance to the four-game semifinals. He said he was fortunate to move on.
“The way the day started out, I wasn’t sure if I would make it past the qualifying round,” he said. “But once the semifinals started, I decided to push everything to the right and fortunately it worked out for me.”
Usually, Culp, known for his high backswing, stands on the left side of the approach, using an inside line. His adjustment led to semifinal games of 244, 221, 198 and 266 for a 929 total on the challenging 39-foot Middle Road V2 oil pattern that gave him the No. 1 seed for the five-bowler stepladder finals.
Perry father-son duo of Brian and Brady Weber earned the No. 5 and No. 4 seeds, respectively, with Brian topping Brady, 210-143. From there, the third-seeded Stefanik, the lone lefty in the finals, edged Weber, 169-159.
Stefanik then defeated Adam Philp of Batavia, 201-173, to advance to the title match against Culp. Stefanik won $350 while Philp took home $240, Brian Weber $200 and Brady Weber $180.
Three other Genesee County bowlers cashed in the event – Batavians Mike Pettinella and Gregg Wolff and Mickey Hyde of Alexander.
The tournament drew 65 entrants and paid out $3,000 in prize money, including $300 added to the prize fund by the GRUSBC.
Philp and Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw led the Saturday 10 a.m. qualifying squad with lofty 956 totals and split the $25 bonus as the tournament’s high qualifiers. Gray finished with a 279 game (the event’s high game) but unfortunately suffered an arm injury in the second game of the semifinals and had to withdraw.
Also qualifying off the Saturday 10 a.m. squad were Pat Donaghue of Pittsford (914), Brian Weber (886), Matt Slocum of Perry (841) and Hyde (836).
Qualifying off the Saturday 2 p.m. squad were Shawn Better of Geneseo (924), Stefanik (889), Dana Nowak of Livonia (860) and Brady Weber (844).
Qualifying off the Sunday 10 a.m. squad were Pettinella, who led the squad with 820, followed by Culp (817), Dennis Van Duser of Perry (803), Mark Brown of Attica (793) and Wolff (791).
In the semifinals, Philp recorded 891, Stefanik 872, Brady Weber 807 and Brian Weber 794.
Donaghue had 787 to place sixth overall, followed by Better, Hyde, Pettinella, Nowack, Wolff, Brown, Van Duser, Slocum and Gray Jr.
Several bowlers topped the 700 mark in Genesee Region USBC league bowling action over the past week.
At Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Chris Bailey led the way with a 279 third game for a 765 series in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples League.
Also at Mancuso's, Mark Brown had games of 258 and 256 in a 729 series in the County Line Stone Friday Trios League.
At Le Roy Legion Lanes, Rob Panepento and Rich Beschler set the pace with 735 and 707 series, respectively, in the American Legion Thursday Men's League, and at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Harris Busmire and Steve Manczak posted 715 and 704, respectively, in the Wednesday Men's Handicap League.
A rare feat was accomplished in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes yesterday morning when Amy Lavender converted the 5-7-10 split.
A frustrated, double-teamed Justin Smith making a pass. Smith was held to 10 points in the first half. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia made a game of it in the first half, but a talented Pittsford Sutherland team ran away with the game in the second half to deliver the Blue Devils, now 4-5, their second straight home loss, 62-37, on Friday.
Justin Smith and Gavin White each scored 12 points, and Carter Mullen scored 10.
The Blue Devils host Honeoye Falls/Lima at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Also on Friday:
Merrit Holly scored 47 points to lead a comeback win for Le Roy over Rochester Prep 55-52. The 47 points ties a single-game scoring record for Le Roy. The record was set in 1963 by Tim McCulley. The Knights trailed 51-47 with less than two minutes to play when Holly went on an eight-point unanswered scoring run to secure the win. Holly had 18 rebounds and was 18-23 from the field.
Alexander beat Pembroke 50-48. Dylan Pohl scored 16 points for the Trojans. Trent Woods, 14, and Kingston Woods, 12. For the Dragons, Tyson Totten scored 24 points and had five assists. Avery Ferreira scored seven.
For the third time in tournament history, Cal-Mum captured the Rotary Tournament crown on Thursday with a 46-40 win over Pembroke.
It's the first time the championship game did not include Batavia or Notre Dame (Notre Dame has won 15 times and Batavia has won nine, with Pavilion picking up the crown once).
For Cal-Mum, Halee Nickerson scored 14 points and was named tournament MVP. Shea Drazkowski scored 16 points.
For Pembroke, Peyton Liss scored 22 points.
Besides Nickerson, filling out the all-tournament team:
Angelo Penna scored 27 points on Wednesday to spark an 81-31 Elba Lancers win over Lyndonville.
Kevin Marsceill scored 17 points, hitting five three-pointers, including four in the fourth quarter.
Also on Wednesday,
Pembroke beat Maryvale, 57 to 41. Tyson Totten scored 27 points and had 16 rebounds. Avery Ferreira scored 15 points and Jayden Bridge had nine rebounds.
Eastridge beat Batavia 70-49. Justin Smith scored 14 points for Batavia. Carter Mullen scored 10.
Photo of Twin B Tuffenuff courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
The 2024 winter meet kicked off at Batavia Downs on Thursday (Jan. 4) and the wagering success the track realized last year picked up right where it left off as a new single card handle record was set during opening day. Betting from all sources totalled $390,922 and that easily topped the old record of $348,205 set last February.
“We had great weather for the opener and featured a very competitive group of horses on the track, making the card very bettable and that was a recipe for success. The track was in great shape, as was our facility to host our live crowd. It was a total team effort and I thank everyone for their support,” said Don Hoover, Director of Live Racing at Batavia Downs.
The track was definitely fast and was that evident in the co-featured $15,000 Open I Handicap pace where Twin B Tuffenuff ($7.70) flexed his muscle on the point to turn in the fastest mile of the incipient meet.
Jim Morrill Jr. sent Twin B Tuffenuff to the front and he was quickly joined by Lanjo Lee (Kyle Cummings), who would then be parked out for the rest of the mile. The two paced side by side through quarters of :28.1, :55.3 and 1:24.2 when Lanjo Lee finally tired, leaving Twin B Tuffenuff to open up around the last turn. Twin B Tuffenuff pulled away by three lengths in the stretch before Morrill wrapped him up and crossed the line in 1:54.2.
Twin B Tuffenuff is owned by Patrick Morris and trained by John Hallett.
Hallett and Morrill also won the fastest trot of the day with Esa ($2.30), who schooled a full field of mid-level conditioners by pulling away to a 11-¼ length victory in 1:55.4.
Morrill ended up taking a six pack home after he won four more races with Friday Night Blues (1:55.3, $4.60), Dark Matter (1:57, $4.20), Blogmaster (1:57, $7.80) and Timeto Communicate (1:56.2, $6.10).
The co-featured $15,000 Open I trot was won by Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) who led from the gate to three-quarters where Comeonover Hanover (Billy Dobson) had pulled from fifth and was even with the leader heading into the final bend. The two then trotted tumultuously around that last turn and then all the way to the line where Big Box Hanover gained a neck advantage and won in 1:56.3.
Big Box Hanover ($2.60) is owned by his driver Stalbaum, who also trains the trotter.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday (Jan. 8) at 3 p.m.
Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.
Photo of Big Box Hanover courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
Pembroke will play for the Rotary Tournament championship on Thursday after knocking off Notre Dame in a first-round game on Tuesday, 50-43.
Elle Peterson scored 15 points, and had five assists and four rebounds to help lead the Dragons to the win in the Girls Basketball game.
Seneca Calderon scored 11 points and had four assists and five rebounds. Jaden Hootman scored seven points. Morgan Conibert scored six and blocked three shots. Regan Schneider grabbed seven rebounds while scoring four points.
For the Irish, Nina Bartz scored 15 points, Emma Sisson, 10, and Sofia Falleti, eight.
Photo of Jim Morrill Jr. courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
Although the summer/fall meet at Batavia Downs concluded less than four weeks ago, the new year brings a new season of harness racing at the oldest lighted harness track in North America as The Downs kicks off their 2024 winter race meet on Thursday (Jan. 4) at 3 p.m.
This is the second straight year Batavia Downs has offered live winter racing action and if last year was any indication, the track could be in for some big betting numbers once again.
“On opening day last year, we had a great live crowd on hand and all sources pushed $257,510 through the windows which at that time, was the best one-night handle at the track since 2019. Then on two successive Mondays (January 30 and February 6) we really knocked it out of the park by handling $340,602 and $348,205,” said Don Hoover, Director of Live Racing at the track.
“I hope we can pick up where we left off and the weather continues to cooperate. If that happens, I look forward to another strong meet.”
Hoover went on to point out that the track crew and their equipment are ready to take on any weather conditions to keep the track safe and fast and hopes to get through the next two months without any interruptions from Mother Nature.
The opening day card features 14 races and the draw box yielded a large number of entries from Saratoga Raceway trainers as that track is currently dark until February.
One of those trainers is Larry “The Bomber” Stalbaum, who won five races on opening day of the winter meet last year. On Thursday, Stalbaum has entered eight horses from his own stable and is driving a total of nine during the day, so he will have the opportunity to duplicate that effort.
Other horsemen and women making the 90-West trek from The Spa include drivers Shawn Gray and Billy Dobson along with trainers Alicia Gray, Amanda Kelley, Lisa Zabielski, Jaymes Mcassey, Bret Derue, John Hallett, Andy Gardner, and Dale Lawton.
All the top Batavia regulars will also be returning on opening day to try and enforce their home-field advantage and keep the bulk of the $153,000 in purses that are up for grabs in western New York.
Last year’s top drivers Jim Morrill Jr., Kevin Cummings, Dave McNeight III, Kyle Cummings, and Jim McNeight Jr. will all be in action Thursday while leading trainers Sam Smith, Shawn McDonough, Jenn Giuliani, Tammy Cummings, and Jim Rothfuss all have horses entered.
Batavia Downs will race every Monday and Thursday through February 26 and post time will be at 3 p.m. daily for all race cards.
The Genesee Region USBC is hosting two tournaments this month -- the 70th Scratch Memorial on Jan. 6-7 at Mount Morris Lanes and the 10th annual Adult-Junior Doubles on Jan. 13 at Perry Bowling Center.
The local association consists of bowling centers in three counties -- Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield and Le Roy Legion Lanes (Genesee), Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion and Medina Lanes (Orleans), Perry Bowling Center and Letchworth Pines (Wyoming) and Mount Morris Lanes (Livingston).
A $1,000 first prize, based on 80 entries, will be awarded to the winner of the Scratch Memorial singles tournament. Qualifying squads (four games) are set for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jan. 6 and 10 a.m. Jan. 7. Semifinals (four games) will start after the Jan. 7 qualifying squads, with stepladder finals to follow.
Entry fee is $60 per person. One in five from each qualifying squad will advance to the semifinals. A "challenge" oil pattern will be used. To enter, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com
The Adult-Junior Doubles handicap event is open to GRUSBC youth bowlers and USBC-certified adult bowlers.
Competition will take place in two divisions -- 12 & under and 13 & over. Entry fee is $48 per team. All prize winnings will go into the youth bowler's SMART (scholarship) account. To enter, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com
ADAM PHILP ROLLS 766 SERIES
In GRUSBC league play last week, Adam Philp of Batavia rolled a 766 series in the County Line Stone Trios League at Mancuso's. His games were 279-241-246.
Senior Emma Sisson led the Lady Irish offense scoring 12 points. Photo by Steve Ognibene
The Notre Dame Lady Irish picked up some extra Section V girls’ basketball points this afternoon by defeating Lyons, 47-33.
Coach Vinny Falleti’s squad improved to 4-2 and moved up in the Class D standings with the non-league win over the Lions, who fell to 4-3 in Class C1, a division consisting of larger schools than Notre Dame.
ND jumped out to a 15-7 first-quarter lead and never looked back, holding a 27-14 halftime edge and a 34-25 advantage heading into the final period.
Senior Emma Sisson led the Irish with 12 points and nine rebounds while Sofia Falleti added 10 points and 16 rebounds. Nina Bartz and Ali Tomidy chipped in with eight points each.
Falleti said he was impressed with his team’s ability to control the pace of the game.
“We came ready to play a tough Lyons team on their court,” he said. “We jumped out to an early lead and kept the momentum throughout. This was a big win for us.”
All eyes are on the hoop as Pembroke's Tyson Totten launches a three-pointer in the first quarter to set the all-time scoring record during Friday night's Genesee Region League victory over visiting Holley, Submitted photos.
Senior guard Tyson Totten eclipsed Pembroke’s career scoring record on Friday night while leading the host Dragons to a 57-42 victory over Holley in Genesee Region League basketball action.
Totten poured in 31 points for Coach Matt Shay’s team, now 4-1 and coming off a first-place finish in at the Akron holiday tournament. His latest effort puts him at 1,200 points, moving him past 2023 graduate Cayden Pfalzer, who finished his career with 1,180 points.
Shay said that Totten’s success is a result of his hard work – on and off the court.
“I'm extremely proud of Tyson and feel fortunate to be his coach,” Shay said. “He strives for excellence in everything he does, whether in academics, sports, or anything else.
“Tyson has worked hard for all of the success he has had in both basketball and football. Whether it has been the offseason work we do, summer camps or the weight room, he has poured himself into it. He deserves all the accolades he gets.”
Jayden Bridge contributed 10 points, Avery Ferreira nine points and nine rebounds, and Sean Pustulka six assists for Pembroke. Destin Kuval had 19 and Vincent Golisano 13 for the Hawks.
Three of the top four scorers in Pembroke boys' basketball history, from left, Cayden Pfalzer, Tyson Totten and Larry Kohorst (the current team's assistant coach).
Celebrating the special achievement are, from left, Pembroke Coach Matt Shay, brother Garrett Totten, mom Jaime Totten, Tyson Totten, dad Jamie Totten and Pembroke JV Coach (and Tyson's uncle) Cory Coe.
